May
02
2020
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Expect A Return To International Travel By End Of The Year
Great Business Class Award Space To Asia For 4 Passengers With American, Chase or Amex Points
May
02
2020
I’m starting to want to plan travel, even if it’s not clear when I’ll be able to travel abroad. I’m really hungry for sushi in Tokyo, laksa in Singapore, and prawn mee soup in Malaysia. I want a Asia trip, and there’s great business class award availability to Asia for January – March, 2021 right now. It’s available for four passengers, and far enough out that I’m willing to make some bookings.
Anchorage Is Now The World’s Busiest Airport, Because Cargo
May
02
2020
In this new pandemic world Atlanta no longer has the busiest airport. That title actually goes to Anchorage.
While U.S. airlines are required to retain some service there as a condition of receiving federal bailout money, that’s not what’s fueling Anchorage’s rise to prominence.
8 Ways Tourism Will Change As Lockdowns Are Lifted
May
02
2020
I’ve mostly written about how coronavirus will change travel. But how will it change tourism – where we go, who will go, and what they’ll do while there – at least initially, as lockdowns being to lift?
United Airlines Uses CARES Act Loophole To Reduce Employee Pay, Keep Bailout Money For Itself
May
02
2020
United has realized they can switch employees from full time to part time and pay them less. That’s not a furlough, and while it reduces pay it does this through reduced hours not reduced pay rate.
The intention of the federal bailout was that the money would go to employees, whose pay would not be reduced. And United is reducing the amount they’re paying employees and using the savings to bolster the position of their shareholders. The airline’s argument is that they need the money which is the same argument they deployed trying to deny refunds to customers for flights they cancelled.
Marriott Told Us Mobile Room Keys Will Keep Us Safe, Then Delayed Roll Out Of Mobile Room Keys
May
02
2020
Marriott emphasized that they have 3300 hotels active with mobile room keys and more being added. This means not having to check in at the front desk with an employee, or having the employee handle your room key. Instead you check in with your phone, and use your phone as a room key.
That’s great, and Marriott is proud of how widespread this feature is (though not yet at half of their hotels). What they didn’t tell you, it turns out, is that they’ve actually pushed back the roll out of this technology at hotels which don’t currently offer it in order to save money.
Most Travel Banned At U.S. Land Borders. What That Means Depends On Where You Cross.
May
02
2020
The U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are closed to non-essential travel, but agents on the border processing immigration say they haven’t received guidance on what that means and they’re left to make up the rules themselves.
Immigration officers further resent the number of people coming into the U.S., viewing them as physical threats to their health.
Ticket Sales Still Negative, With Airlines Giving You More Money Than You Give Them
May
02
2020
Airlines are still refunding as many third party sales as they are generating new sales. However overall it does appear that the number of cancellations is no longer greater than new bookings. That’s mostly because the trips that were booked before the pandemic have already been cancelled, but it’s a way of thinking about having truly hit bottom already. Now there’s nowhere to go but up.
JetBlue Founder Challenges The Government’s Coronavirus Response
May
01
2020
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
7 Things American Airlines Shared With Employees After Their Earnings Call
May
01
2020
On Thursday American Airlines spoke to investors and journalists on their earnings call about the financial results during the first quarter and the challenges that lie ahead.
After the earnings call, as they always do, senior leadership at the airline hold a forum where they speak to employees and take questions. Here are 7 of the things they shared during that session, having reviewed a recording of that session.
